London, York & Edinburgh

Step outside your hotel, for a stroll through the streets of the heart of the English-speaking world. In this city of nearly seven million, you'll see everything from 12th-century fortifications to modern skyscrapers, formal parks to punk rockers. Your Tour Director will lead you to some of the most famous sites. Walk along the Thames River. Cross Trafalgar Square. See bustling Piccadilly Circus. Pass trendy shops and cafés in Bohemian Soho on your way to Covent Garden, a 13th-century fruit and vegetable garden transformed into a maze of narrow streets and pedestrian walkways burgeoning with street performers, open-air markets and boutiques.

Nothing’s more British than fish and chips—there are eight fish and chip shops (“chippies”) for every McDonald’s in the country. Head to an authentic pub with your Tour Director for a taste of this national food, generally served with malt vinegar.

Join a licensed local guide for an in-depth look at London, from the royal haunt of Buckingham Palace (the official London residence of Queen Elizabeth II) to the slightly more democratic Speakers’ Corner of Hyde Park, where anyone can pull up a soapbox and orate to his heart’s content. You’ll see the changing of the guard (season permitting), the clock tower of Big Ben with its 14-ton bell, and Westminster Abbey, where almost every English king and queen since William the Conqueror has been crowned. After a stop at the Houses of Parliament, continue on to the magnificent St. Paul’s Cathedral, the masterpiece of London architect Christopher Wren.

See how the Queen relaxes on this guided tour of the royal weekend estate, originally built as a fortress in the 11th century under William the Conqueror. Tiptoe through the tulips (and other flowers) in the East Terrace Gardens, marvel at the Gothic St. George's Chapel, or peek into the rooms of Queen Mary's doll house with its gallery of pint-size perfect furniture. Get decorating tips for your own country estate (or dorm room, as it may be).

Visit prehistoric Stonehenge, built in 3,000 B.C. The mysterious monument of four concentric rings of hefty stones is believed to have been a sacred place of worship or some type of calendar. Then head to Bath, England's most fashionable spa town in the 18th century. Everyone who was anyone headed to this town on the River Avon to "take the waters" and attend the theaters. Today you'll visit Roman baths, sweeping Georgian-style terraces and buildings made from the local honey-hued stone, and a town center filled with art galleries, shops, and restaurants.

Charming York combines medieval mysteries with modern flair. Gothic buildings and cobblestone streets lead to bustling shopping districts; ancient stones make up the now-picturesque city walls. Explore the birthplace of Guy Fawkes with your Tour Director.

Spectacular York Minster has the largest medieval stained-glass window in the world, and holds half of all of England's medieval stained glass. The largest Gothic building in the country dazzles visitors with these intricate works, from the silvery Five Sisters Window to the apocalyptic East Window, which depicts both the beginning and the end of the world.

Travel through the heather-covered hills of Yorkshire, a wild, rugged landscape that looks like the setting for Wuthering Heights. Stop at York Minster, the largest Gothic church in England. "Large" is not a big enough word to describe this 534-foot-long cathedral. Step inside and gaze up at the 90-foot soaring ceilings, gargantuan pillars, and stained-glass windows so intensely coloured, they look like jewels. Bring binoculars to get a good look at the cobalt and garnet glass in the church's 128 stained-glass windows.

The capital of Scotland, Edinburgh has steep streets and stone buildings zigzagging up hills and down into small valleys, and the brooding Edinburgh Castle looms over the whole thing. Follow your Tour Director through New Town's Charlotte Square, with its elegant Georgian townhouses. See where inventor Alexander Graham Bell was born in 1847, pass Robert Louis Stevenson's birthplace near the Royal Botanic Garden, and stroll by the monument commemorating Scottish poet Robert Burns. Hear the castle's ramparts echo with gunfire at 1 p.m. Gaze out at the steep slopes and craggy cliffs of the northwest Highlands, visible from Edinburgh's highest points. Peer down into the blue sea stretching out beyond the city.

Edinburgh Castle, the historical and emotional heart of the city, is just one of the many sights you will see on this tour, led by a licensed professional guide. Make your way along the Royal Mile, the main thoroughfare of the 16th and 17th centuries. (It's actually one mile and 107 yards long--from Edinburgh Castle to the Palace of Holyrood House). As you make your way along cobbled streets, you'll see a handful of the several thousand buildings officially protected in Edinburgh because of their architectural or historic importance. The 200-foot spire of the Sir Walter Scott monument soars above the East Princes Street Gardens. Grand figures from Scottish history adorn its heights, make sure you also look down -- the figure below the marble statue is Scott's favorite dog, Maida.

If you think fairies are cute little twinkly things, think again. Take in the Scottish folklore show and learn about the kelpies, banshees, and selkies that inhabit this harsh land.